Optoelectronic devices operating in the extended short-wave infrared (e-SWIR) covering the 1.4-3.0 μm wavelength range provide valuable information that can not be gathered in the visible wavelengths. For instance, e-SWIR penetrates fog, haze, and smog. The current e-SWIR technologies utilize predominantly expensive III-V and II-VI semiconductors, hindering the large-scale use of e-SWIR devices. Herein, we introduce GeSn devices monolithically integrated on Si wafers as a low-cost, scalable, and CMOS-compatible e-SWIR technology. E-SWIR imaging through fog is demonstrated utilizing the grown GeSn PIN photodetectors. To record the images, focused light from a broadband source was directed through a silicon (Si) wafer and an artificial fog toward the GeSn photodetector. Using raster scanning and a single GeSn photodiode epitaxially grown on Si wafer, full images were composed. The latter showed a clear contrast between the illuminated and the dark zones. This capacity to properly detect objects through obscurants opens a range of opportunities for real-life applications in e-SWIR imaging.
SWIR and MWIR photodetector technologies are mainly served by III-V and II-VI materials such as InSb, InGaAs, and HgCdTe which are costly, require cooling, and face manufacturing and scalability challenges. GeSn is an attractive group IV material that is Si-compatible with the potential to circumvent these challenges by enabling the fabrication of SWIR and MWIR detectors on a scalable and cost-effective Si platform. In this work, material development and optoelectrical properties of a set of heterostructures made of Si/Ge/GeSn are presented. The material properties and its potential application in photodetectors are discussed. For instance, at a low Sn content (below 5 at.%), we found that GeSn-based photoconductive devices display unexpectedly a low dark current and exhibit a room-temperature cutoff wavelength of 1.75 um and a responsivity of 0.52 A/W at 1.55 um. Results from microscopic and spectroscopic studies are also presented. Finally, capacitance devices are fabricated to extract unintentional doping concentrations from CV measurements.
KEYWORDS: Short wave infrared radiation, Nanowires, Silicon, Heterojunctions, Silicon photonics, Tin, Chemical species, Transmission electron microscopy, Compound semiconductors, Control systems
Sn-containing group IV semiconductors (Si)GeSn represent a versatile platform to implement a variety of Si-compatible photonic, optoelectronic, and photovoltaic devices. This class of semiconductors provides two degrees of freedom, strain and composition, to tailor the band structure and lattice parameter thus laying the groundwork to implement novel heterostructures and low-dimensional systems on a Si substrate. In this presentation, we will discuss the recent progress in controlling and understanding the opto-electronic properties of metastable (Si)GeSn semiconductor nanowires and heterostructures. We will shed new light on the basic mechanisms governing their epitaxial growth and thermal stability. We will also discuss the opto-electronic properties and present strategies to integrate these material systems in the fabrication of short wavelength infrared (SWIR) and mid-infrared (MIR) detectors and light emitting devices.
Currently, the surface-plasmon-polariton (SPP) waves can be excited only at certain wavelength and certain incidence angle. It is remarkably noticed that the wavenumber of the SPP waves decreases as the incident wavelength increases. This stands against the continuous excitation of SPP waves at certain incidence angle using a practical grating configuration. We hypothesized that the theoretical modeling of SPP waves guided by the interface of a dielectric grating and a metal will help to solve that problem. The aim of the study is to prove that the proposed grating/metal configuration has propensity of guiding SPP waves of relative wavenumber that increases as the incident electromagnetic wavelength increases. This may enable the continuous excitation of SPP waves. The successful attempt of proving the aim of this study will validate the excitation of SPP waves at certain incidence angle but at wider range of incident wavelength. This result will have a great impact on the communication and energy harvesting applications.
The rigorous coupled wave analysis (RCWA) is used to solve the Maxwell equations in its differential form. The Newton-Raphson method is used to solve the dispersion equation at the grating/metal interface for the SPP wavenumber. This provides the wavenumber of the SPP waves that can propagate at the grating metal interface. A study for the SPP wave energy decay will also be made through the calculation of the Poynting vector, and show that the propagating SPP waves decay away from the grating/metal interface, which infers the surfacing property of the propagating waves.
A p-i-n solar cell is best suited for strong absorbers with poor collection capabilities. However, the absorption naturally decreases at photon energies close to the electronic bandgap of the semiconductor. We hypothesized that a quasi-periodic surface textures in the role of diffraction gratings at the back contact can efficiently scatter light increasing the optical path length inside the absorber layer. The effect of quasi-periodic corrugated backing metallic contact of various types was studied theoretically. To help optimizing the design of the quasi periodic grating the corresponding canonical problem was considered. The absorption of light was calculated using the rigorous coupled-wave approach. The n- and i-layers consist of isotropic nonhomogeneous multilayered semiconductor.
The intrinsic layer in an amorphous-silicon solar cell is usually several orders of magnitude thicker than the p- and n-layers to increase the electron-hole pair generation in the intrinsic layer and to decrease the recombination losses in the p- and n-layers. We hypothesized that a nohomogeneous intrinsic layer may trap the incident light better and increase the generation rate of charge carriers. The nonhomogeneity can be introduced by varying the composition of amorphous silicon alloys during chemical vapor deposition. The effect of intrinsic layer nonhomogeneity of various schemes was studied theoretically on the short-circuit current of a single-junction thin-film amorphous-silicon solar cell. The absorption of light was calculated using the rigorous coupled-wave approach for an AM1.5 solar irradiance spectrum for a wavelength range of 400-1100 nm. An antireection coating consisting of two layers of homogeneous dielectric materials was also used. The backing metallic layer of the solar cell was taken to be periodically corrugated. The short-circuit current of the solar cell with nonhomogeneous intrinsic layer was found to be higher than the solar cell with a homogeneous intrinsic layer.
Access to the requested content is limited to institutions that have purchased or subscribe to SPIE eBooks.
You are receiving this notice because your organization may not have SPIE eBooks access.*
*Shibboleth/Open Athens users─please
sign in
to access your institution's subscriptions.
To obtain this item, you may purchase the complete book in print or electronic format on
SPIE.org.
INSTITUTIONAL Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
PERSONAL Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.